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ORIGINAL: Mayhemizer_slith

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ORIGINAL: Chocolino

ORIGINAL: Mayhemizer_slith

Looking at map attacking 6-3 INF in north near Riga would have been easier and after break through USSR would have been in hurry to block Germans.

In south moving German INF NW behind USSR without attack would forced USSR to react or they all go OOS soon. Also bringing bomber to cover INF would have helped against USSR counter attack.

Re south: When deciding whether to cut off the Russians around Lvov I was looking at the supply rules last night and could find only that "any unconquered home city is a primary supply source". I understand "any" to mean that the city itself can be isolated from the rest of Russia. So if the Germans surround Lvov plus some units near it, the Russians seem to still be able to get supply form Lvov. That would mean that I have to conquer Lvov as well which is strongly defended. But perhaps I have (again) overlooked something crucial here.

Here is the trick: Lvov is Polish city, not Russian [;)] units around Lvov take supply from HQ. And HQ needs rail line to some USSR city.

Bessarabian cities are exception: they become part of Russian home country.

Good catch - so I have overlooked something - again.

Turn2 / Impuls 2 (Russia) and Impulse 3 (Germany)

Realizing suddenly that the city of Lvov is not quite as willing as previously thought to provide supplies in case of a German encirclement, the SW front beats a hasty retreat towards Kiev. The Russians also partly re-organize their front in the north.

The Germans don't attack and just move up. This is the situation at the end of impulse 3 (North):

In the south the Russian left the 2 slow Garrison units in Lvov as roadblocks. It looked as if they could not make it out of the pocket in any case with their movement rate of 1.

Supply tip:

Move German 4-4 to swamp one hex east (unless you cut supply from Minsk and HQ in south other wise) to put MECH and another unit in swamp OOS.

Then kill them or they run away when first snow impulse comes and swamp becomes forest. Other option is to keep 2 weak units on opposing sides of those USSR units so they are trapped forever and they can't rebuild them.

ORIGINAL: Mayhemizer_slith

Supply tip:

Move German 4-4 to swamp one hex east (unless you cut supply from Minsk and HQ in south other wise) to put MECH and another unit in swamp OOS.

Then kill them or they run away when first snow impulse comes and swamp becomes forest. Other option is to keep 2 weak units on opposing sides of those USSR units so they are trapped forever and they can't rebuild them.

Thanks again - will do - couldn't do it this turn since the 4-4 already moved one hex east (would have been DSRP otherwise).

Turn 2 / I 4&5

The Russians performed only minor adjustments of the front in the North and continued their retreat in the south.

The Germans ground-striked Lvov successfully.

The following land attack:

This is the situation at the end of the German Impulse #5.

Turn 2 / Impulse 6 (Russian)

The Russian further consolidated their front - only minor movements.

Turn 2 / Impulse 7 (Axis)

The Axis high command order all HQs to get ready for a final offensive this turn. All HQs reorganized their units - there was a fair chance at an additional German impulse.

Turn 2 / Impulse 8: (Russian)

The Russians did see the attack coming and withdrew threatened sectors. But because of ZOC they could not all reach safe position.

Turn 2 Impulse 9 (Ger)

The weather is still fine.

The Germans move into position and get ready to attack 2 hexes.

First the hex north-east of Vilna to where the Russians moved back. The second hex in the Ukraine near the bend of the Dniester.

All available Luftwaffe bombers participated in Ground Support in both hexes. A remaining Russian bomber braved the odds and also undertook a ground support mission near Vilna but was driven off by Luftwaffe fighters.

In the Ukraine, the Luftwaffe was the only side to conduct air missions and was automatically successful (with ground support).

Both attacks showed 4-1 odds. Near Vilna the Germans got a lucky roll and achieved a breathrough with no losses. (Unfortunately I missed to take a screenshot here).

In the Ukraine all German attackers where disorganized however. Give the late stage of the turn the Germans consider this tolerable.

This is the situation at the end of Impulse 9 (north)

The breakthrough here threatens rear area airbases and will most likely require the Russians to further move back their entire front.

The situation in the south:

This is the destroyed pool so far for turn 2:

Turn 2 / Impulse 10 (Allies):

There was a small chance for the turn to end already but the Allies/Russians will get another turn. They considered passing with the hope to end the turn and then fill their increasingly fragile line with new arrivals in turn 3. However, they considered it too risky and instead chose a land action and just fall back where they considered it necessary. HQ reorganized and they re-based one plane out of harms way (to Pskov).

The situation in the north after the Russian move:

In the center the Russians abandoned - after some agonizing - Minsk but in the South they plan to maintain a fortress in Odessa.

Turn 2 / Impulse 11 (Axis):

Of course the Germans chose "land" and moved up, capturing the open city of Minsk. More Germans units (4 corps total) were able to cross the Dvina in addition to the unit SE of Riga which was there already. But they did not get sufficiently good odds for an attack. There is also a high chance that the Russians will be able to provide ground support by just re-organized planes.

In the south Rumanian units cut off Odessa from the rest of the motherland but the defenders will remain in supply.

The turn ended here.

Looking at German production for T2, it appears that the Russian naval sortie into the Baltic - driving off German convoys - was almost in vain. The Swedish resources arrive in Germany via neutral shipping (via trade) and are not transported via German CPs. But the Germans do miss out on one Finnish resource. At least some effect.

Russians and Germans did build all available remaining infantry in the force pool. Next they selected units with short build duration since there are only 3 turns remaining in the scenario. This includes one aircraft each and Militia for Germany while Russia build a few Garrisons.

Turn 3:

The Russians win the initiative and it has started to rain again.